GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli planes reportedly sprayed agricultural crops along the Gaza border on Wednesday with pesticides that have been killing off crops for the third day in a row, the general manager of the plant protection department at the Gaza-based Ministry of Agriculture told Ma'an.

Wael Thabet said that “several farmers informed the ministry that Israeli planes sprayed their lands with pesticides around the al-Qarrara area in eastern Khan Younis and the Wadi al-Salqa area in east central Gaza which damaged a large number of crops.”Saleh al-Najjar, a farmer from al-Qarrara, said he lost some 30 dunums (7.4 acres) of spinach and pea crops due to the spraying, which has taken place from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. during the past three days. Another farmer, Wael al-Shami, said he lost crops of parsley and beans which were planted near al-Qarrara in eastern Khan Younis.Thabet alleged that Israeli forces deliberately spray pesticides periodically on agricultural lands near the Gaza-Israeli border to destroy crops.Thabet added that the Red Cross made a trip to observe the damaged lands and reportedly estimated that 1500 dunams (371 acres) of land in central Gaza and 200 dunams (50 acres) of land in eastern Khan Younis were damaged according to initial reports.Thabet demanded that the Red Cross contact Israel and call for it to stop its violations against farmers in Gaza.

Israeli planes have reportedly sprayed chemical substances on farmlands across the besieged Gaza Strip, killing off the crops in the already impoverished Palestinian territory.

Several farmers informed that Israeli planes had sprayed their lands with pesticides, in the area between (Kissufim, and Srij) east of al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Younis, according to Al Ray correspondence.

Witnesses pointed out that the Israeli occupation aircraft were spraying pesticides inside the border fence, and were hovering on low level .

The continuing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is putting the lives of people at risk, taking a heavy toll on the enclave’s agriculture sector.

Farmers are struggling to meet growing demands of 1.8 million Gazans who are living in the tight grip of the Israeli siege. They face many challenges due to shortages in farming equipment and more importantly, approved pesticides.

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Many medical experts in Gaza are worried about a rise in the number of registered Gazan cancer patients, especially in the agricultural areas.

They warn that children are more susceptible to diseases, such as leukemia, than adults in such regions.

The Gaza Strip has been under Israel’s blockade since June 2007. The crippling siege has caused a decline in living standards as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.

Let me first point out that self-professed “journalist” Silverstein has not investigated the veracity of claims. He did not go and interview people on the ground – from both the palestinian and Israeli sides – or see what happened for himself. He has merely accepted as fact the IMEMC’s hatchet job.

As I have shown in the past, the IMEMC posts blatant falsehoods and blood libels against Israel. Here are just a fewexamples.

So right off the bat, your spidey senses need to be tingling, asking why Silverstein would retweet this. The answer is simple: he hates Israel with a passion, and cares not for the truth, but for our destruction.

Now let’s get to the critical thinking section of this post and look at the IMEMC’s claims.

The main claim is that Israel is spraying pesticides to kill off palestinian crops. Israel does clearly spray pesticides – on all crops. And there is a committee looking into it:

The Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee on Tuesday approved changes in regulations that would reduce the maximum permitted levels of pesticide residue in food crops. The Israel Union for Environmental Defense (Adam Teva V’Din) says it welcomes the changes, but called on the committee to follow the lead of European countries and the United States in banning outright the use of pesticides that are hazardous to health.

After examining the issue of residual levels of pesticides for a number of years, an interministerial committee decided to update the regulations regarding the maximum levels of 500 pesticides in edible crops and to ban, completely or almost completely, the use of 45 pesticides.

Exposure to high concentrations of pesticides can damage health in a number of ways that include causing cancer, damage to the nervous system and neurological and cognitive damage.

According to data issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Israel has the highest pesticide use of any OECD member state. Crops in which relatively high amounts of pesticide residue has been found include herb plants.

According to a report by the ministries of health and agriculture, the need to update the regulations stems from the introduction of new types of pesticides, as well as changes to safety assessments regarding their use in general and on specific crops.

If a certain pesticide is banned, a substitute must be found. This happened when certain pesticides were prohibited for use on herb plants and on certain pumpkin and winter squash varieties.

So Israel clearly uses pesticides. What might be happening is Israel spraying all crops with the same pesticides – whether on the Israeli or palestinian side. And outlets like IMEMC are inventing a blood libel that they are designed to kill off the palestinian crops (rather thansave the crops, which is the actual role of pesticides).

If Israel was engaged in such nefarious palestinian crop-killing activities, I doubt we would have a committee looking into our use of pesticides! Remember, we have a vibrant democracy with Arab political parties and much discussion. If Israel was indeed committing such crimes, it would surely have come to the attention of the Arab members of the Knesset who would be objecting to them and calling for heads to roll. But this is not happening.

Now also look at the next part of the report.

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Here, IMEMC is actually admitting that palestinian farmers are using dangerous chemicals on crops, harmful to people’s health. Of course, they are somehow trying to blame it on Israel, but if true, this is the crime here, not some fabricated claim about Zionist Crop-Killing Chemicals of Death.TM

So once again what we have here is a blood libel against Israel, plain and simple.

Day after day we see the same disingenuous lies by the regressive left claimed of the Israelis.

I have no objection to genuine criticism which where there is evidence of Israeli wrong I will condemn, but these constant invented bullshit is the same tactics the nazis; used against the Jews in the past. All done to further instill hate

Thing is more and more people are exposing these lies, as this disgusting racist hate has to tackled at every turn

The army says aerial spraying was meant to ‘enable security operations.’ Palestinian farmers say hundreds of acres of crops were damaged or destroyed.

The Israel army has confirmed that it used crop-dusters to kill off vegetation — and perhaps inadvertently, agricultural crops — inside the Gaza Strip last week. According to Palestinian officials, over 420 acres of land were damaged by the spraying.For years now, the IDF has unilaterally maintained a lethal “no-go zone” on the Palestinian side of the border with Gaza. Now, it seems, it has also implemented a “no-grow zone.”

“The aerial spraying of herbicides and germination inhibitors was conducted in the area along the border fence last week in order to enable optimal and continuous security operations,” an IDF Spokesperson told +972 on Sunday.Palestinian Agricultural Ministry officials told Ma’an news that farmers said Israeli planes had been spraying their agricultural lands adjacent to the border fence for several days straight. Spinach, pea, parsley and bean crops were reportedly destroyed around the al-Qarrara area in eastern Khan Younis and the Wadi al-Salqa area in central Gaza, according to the report.The military spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about the destruction of agricultural crops.The spraying of herbicides in Gaza was not reported in the Israeli media.

An Israeli soldier raises his rifle toward unarmed Palestinian protesters along the border fence separating Israel and Gaza, Gaza Strip, near the Nahal Oz crossing, October 30, 2015. (Ezz Zanoun/Activestills.org)The IDF has for years imposed a lethal no-go buffer zone along the Gaza border. The army killed at least 16 Palestinians and wounded at least 379 more who entered or approached the no-go zone in recent months, most of whom were participating in demonstrations along the fence.Farmers and scrap collectors are also regularly targeted as they approach the fence. Palestinians often claim that those shot were outside the restricted area. Rarely are there any allegations that those shot were armed.“Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods,” said Shai Grunberg, spokesperson for Gisha, an Israeli rights group that works to promote freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza. “By virtue of Israel’s substantial control of the Gaza Strip, international law requires it to facilitate normal life in the Strip.”From an Israeli military perspective, the buffer zone helps the army counter the laying of IEDs, ambushes and border infiltrations. Ground forces regularly enter the Strip in order to clear obstructions to army’s line of sight, including by demolishing structures and trees. The logic behind the herbicidal clearing of foliage and crops along the border area, one can assume, is to clear a line of sight for soldiers seeking to identify threats.Palestinian workers salvage building materials near Erez Crossing at the northern border between Gaza and Israel, Beit Hanoun, February 18, 2014. A remote-controlled weapon is mounted on a nearby Israeli military watchtower in the border wall. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)The Israeli army has provided contradictory information regarding the no-go zone over the years, including the area’s specific size and its procedures for engaging (shooting at) civilians who enter it for various reasons. From explanations given in recent months, it appears that the no-go zone stretches 300 meters from the fence but that farmers are allowed to approach up to 100 meters by foot. Those distances tend to differ from area to area, according to Gisha.The army has not disclosed how it distinguishes between farmers and other civilians, or civilians and combatants, however.“A primary principle of international humanitarian law is the distinction between combatants and civilians,” Israeli human rights group B’Tselem wrote in a report on the no-go zone in Gaza. “When it is unclear if the persons are civilians or combatants, they must be treated as civilians.”A Palestinian herder tends his sheep near the northern border between Gaza and Israel, Beit Hanoun, February 18, 2014. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)During the Vietnam war, the United States famously sprayed Agent Orange, napalm and other herbicides and defoliants to destroy vast swathes of jungle in Vietnam for military purposes. After the health and environmental effects such practices became clearer, however, the international community initiated the Environmental Modification Convention restricting the use of herbicidal warfare, which came into force in 1978. Israel is not a party to the convention.In addition to enforcing a lethal buffer zone along its land border with Gaza affecting Palestinian farmers, the Israeli army also imposes strict, and sometimes deadly restrictions on the maritime areas in which Palestinian fisherman may fish.Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip 10 years ago but its military still controls its land and sea borders, airspace, maritime zone, population registry, and decides which people and what goods may enter and exit the Strip. While Gaza also has a land border with Egypt, the Rafah crossing is a passenger terminal only, is often closed, and only lets through a limited number of people.

Bullshit, I suggest you look at the UN where it is the gazan farmers destroying there own land.It says along the security fence also, showing how the Nazi left twist everything to promote their hate of the Jews

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Didge wrote:Bullshit, I suggest you look at the UN where it is the gazan farmers destroying there own land.It says along the security fence also, showing how the Nazi left twist everything to promote their hate of the Jews

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Didge wrote:Bullshit, I suggest you look at the UN where it is the gazan farmers destroying there own land.It says along the security fence also, showing how the Nazi left twist everything to promote their hate of the Jews

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

JIDF's David 'Appletree' Brotsky admits violating Facebook TOSDavid Appletree exposes Aussie Dave's 'fake' Facebook accountsI’ve come into possession of a series of tweets from 2010 and shared among Aussie Dave, the Jewish Internet Task Force’s (JIDF) David Appletree (the nom de guerre of David Brotsky) and other members of the hasbara jihad brigade. They document a coordinated project to forge Facebook accounts and identities in order to amplify their pro-Israel efforts among the social networking community. Among the activities in which they’ve engaged, more recently are the creation of the “David Loeb” Facebook profile which Aussie Dave used as a hoax identity. Aussie Dave also reveals that he’s used a fake ID in order to infiltrate this pro-Palestinian Facebook group. Once accepted, he posts incendiary pro-terror comments seeking to bait other members into escalating the conversation. Such provocations can then be used by the hasbara activists to discredit the cause and general and get groups taken down.Aussie Dave blames JIDF for exposing fake FB account

This is precisely the sort of manipulation of online discourse which poisons the well and degrades the value of Facebook and similar sites. It’s why it’s important to police their activity and bring it to Facebook’s attention and to insist that Facebook better police its own site and pages. Of course, these activities violate the site’s Terms of Service and one tweet in particular finds Aussie Dave saying this explicitly. In another tweet, the latter remonstrates with the JIDF major domo for “outing” one of his fake IDs, “Dave Israel,” and endangering his entire web of fake accounts.

I would urge groups administered by Palestinian or peace activists to maintain vigilance for this sort of behavior and to insist that individuals who appear to be provocateurs provide evidence of their bona fides. I’m sure many are already doing this. But this new evidence shows the need for constant vigilance.

Aussie Dave documents infiltration of Palestinian FB groups

This also indicates the absolute bankruptcy of the hasbara project. Instead of engaging in substantive activity dealing with real issues and political debate, these knuckleheads spends countless hours engaged in subterfuge and deception seeking to sabotage the “enemy” rather than advancing anything constructive or of real value on behalf of Israel. What does it say about the hasbara apparatus as a whole and the entire pro-Israel movement that it would countenance such lying and cheating. Is a cause worth anything if its worst adherents can justify such behavior.I should make clear that there is nothing wrong with supporting Israel in whatever fashion one chooses as long as one does so transparently, candidly and forthrightly. What Aussie Dave and JIDF do should be treif for anyone who supports Israel.

Didge wrote:Bullshit, I suggest you look at the UN where it is the gazan farmers destroying there own land.It says along the security fence also, showing how the Nazi left twist everything to promote their hate of the Jews

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

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[list=lr_dct_sf_sens][*]a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically worked into an organized system. It may be an aspect of chronic personality disorder, of drug abuse, or of a serious condition such as schizophrenia in which the person loses touch with reality.[/list]

So not only are some Muslims deluded by the fact they think their prophet spoke to a deity, when its more probable, he was hearing voices in his head and suffering a mental illness. They also think that if people do not back the bullshit Palestinian cause to wipe out Iszrael, where they do not want any Jews to live in Palestine and ethnically cleanse them from a future Palestinian state, that makes people idiots.

No, it makes people wise to the bull promoted by the regressives

I back a two state solution

The only useful idiot here is the Muslim of course who thinks Arabs who conquered a land themselves where most Palestinians are also recent migrants and thus using the same terminology they do, thus colonists, wants to deny Israel to even exist by only backing a one state solution.That is antisemitism and he cannot see a future where they can exist side by side, which shows even more what is wrong with the Islamic faith and where it is because of the Islamic faith that Palestinians think they are glorified in murdering Israeli citizens and think the land belongs to them.

Yep I think all can see it is the Pro Palestinian British Muslim, who is the useless idiot

eddie wrote:Let me get this straight; Zack thinks didge is PAID to come on here and spread some ideology/truth/myths/facts/blah blah

No Eddie, he doesn't, he thinks Didge is stupid enough to do it for free lol. There are thousands and thousands who are paid by the Israeli government for doing what Didge does, they are specifically trained for it.

eddie wrote:Let me get this straight; Zack thinks didge is PAID to come on here and spread some ideology/truth/myths/facts/blah blah

No Eddie, he doesn't, he thinks Didge is stupid enough to do it for free lol. There are thousands and thousands who are paid by the Israeli government for doing what Didge does, they are specifically trained for it.

Like the pro-McCann's were back in the day?

_________________"You set alight, in my heart and mind, the most beautiful chaos" ~ atticus

No Eddie, he doesn't, he thinks Didge is stupid enough to do it for free lol. There are thousands and thousands who are paid by the Israeli government for doing what Didge does, they are specifically trained for it.

Like the pro-McCann's were back in the day?

What do you mean eddie? Are you saying that people were paid or trained to support the McCanns?

No Eddie, he doesn't, he thinks Didge is stupid enough to do it for free lol. There are thousands and thousands who are paid by the Israeli government for doing what Didge does, they are specifically trained for it.

Like the pro-McCann's were back in the day?

What do you mean eddie? Are you saying that people were paid or trained to support the McCanns?

It was hinted at yes, I don't know that I believed is particularly, but certainly alot of money out of the "fund" was used to pay people to trawl the Internet for any negative threads/forums/posts etc They did have alot of anti-McCann sites (as they called it) others would call it "pro-Madeline", closed down. I was there and I witnessed it many many times and know of very anti-McCann people on forums recieving private emails threatening them. Make of that what you will.

_________________"You set alight, in my heart and mind, the most beautiful chaos" ~ atticus

The IDF have said it is deliberate (see my post above) Rags. They claim it is for security, even though the land is farmland in Gaza and is actually the most fertile land there. The border was made within Gaza as well, taking farmland. Farmers are regularly shot at trying to farm their land. The pesticides are now going into the water table, which is also harmful, as Gazans have extremely bad water problems anyway, because of Israeli policies.

What do you mean eddie? Are you saying that people were paid or trained to support the McCanns?

It was hinted at yes, I don't know that I believed is particularly, but certainly alot of money out of the "fund" was used to pay people to trawl the Internet for any negative threads/forums/posts etc They did have alot of anti-McCann sites (as they called it) others would call it "pro-Madeline", closed down. I was there and I witnessed it many many times and know of very anti-McCann people on forums recieving private emails threatening them. Make of that what you will.

I used to post on the Mirror forum eddie, and they closed down the entire McCann section. The people who liked that section went mental and spammed the rest of the forum. It's not clear why they closed it - perhaps because it got so abusive, or maybe because there was a fair bit of potential libel going on.

Last edited by Raggamuffin on Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

eddie wrote:Let me get this straight; Zack thinks didge is PAID to come on here and spread some ideology/truth/myths/facts/blah blah

As Sassy said, he's stupid enough to do it for free.

Besides this platform is too small. The Hasbara fellows focus on bigger sites like Wiki, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Especially Facebook as many media comments are connected to Facebook.

Didge spends most of his working day on here, screws his employers out of 80% of his wages and does Hasbara for free.

I'm advising Didge to ditch his current job, invest $3,500 for a course and get paid for what he truly loves.

So defending against antisemitism and the tactics of the Nazis to deligitimize a nation off falsehoods is stupidity to you, which is also racism, which even extends to the same with posters on a forum, where they go

"Do not listen to him Eddie, he is a nasty boy for defending against lies and racism"

The only useless idiots being exposed is both yourself and sassy because I have exposed your hate

Look buddy just because you are jealous, that not only am I paid well, but I do my job well, I have lots of free time, I even finished work at one today and am now home

What do you mean eddie? Are you saying that people were paid or trained to support the McCanns?

It was hinted at yes, I don't know that I believed is particularly, but certainly alot of money out of the "fund" was used to pay people to trawl the Internet for any negative threads/forums/posts etc They did have alot of anti-McCann sites (as they called it) others would call it "pro-Madeline", closed down. I was there and I witnessed it many many times and know of very anti-McCann people on forums recieving private emails threatening them. Make of that what you will.

I used to post on the Mirror forum eddie, and they closed down the entire McCann section. The people who liked that section went mental and spammed the rest of the forum. It's not clear why they closed it - perhaps because it got so abusive, or maybe because there was a fair of potential libel going on.

Yes I remember the mirror forum, there was a poster there I liked called SpitfireThey closed sky forum down too for pretty much the same reasons

_________________"You set alight, in my heart and mind, the most beautiful chaos" ~ atticus

sassy wrote:The IDF have said it is deliberate (see my post above) Rags. They claim it is for security, even though the land is farmland in Gaza and is actually the most fertile land there. The border was made within Gaza as well, taking farmland. Farmers are regularly shot at trying to farm their land. The pesticides are now going into the water table, which is also harmful, as Gazans have extremely bad water problems anyway, because of Israeli policies.

Sorry - I missed that post. So the claim is that the spray was used to kill off unwanted vegetation and there was some drift.

sassy wrote:The IDF have said it is deliberate (see my post above) Rags. They claim it is for security, even though the land is farmland in Gaza and is actually the most fertile land there. The border was made within Gaza as well, taking farmland. Farmers are regularly shot at trying to farm their land. The pesticides are now going into the water table, which is also harmful, as Gazans have extremely bad water problems anyway, because of Israeli policies.

Sorry - I missed that post. So the claim is that the spray was used to kill off unwanted vegetation and there was some drift.

If that's what happened, it's not on really.

But she is twisting the facts as per usual, the land on the border is not used as its no mans land, so its not farm land, hence the absolute lie which is even worse when you understand this

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

So the reason their farmland is fucked, is down to their own practices and nothing Israel has done

So they go off where no mans land has been cleared to then claim off all Gaza farmland

That is what you call utter bullshit on every level

Last edited by Didge on Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

Description

A pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests. Pesticides include herbicides for destroying weeds and other unwanted vegetation, insecticides for controlling a wide variety of insects, fungicides used to prevent the growth of molds and mildew, disinfectants for preventing the spread of bacteria, and compounds used to control mice and rats. Because of the widespread use of agricultural chemicals in food production, people are exposed to low levels of pesticide residues through their diets. Scientists do not yet have a clear understanding of the health effects of these pesticide residues.

Sorry - I missed that post. So the claim is that the spray was used to kill off unwanted vegetation and there was some drift.

If that's what happened, it's not on really.

But she is twisting the facts as per usual, the land on the border is not used as its no mans land, so its not farm land, hence the absolute lie which is even worse when you understand this

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Doesn't it depend on how close the crops are to the border? I'm not an expert on spray drift, but I would think it could drift a fair distance.

sassy wrote:The IDF have said it is deliberate (see my post above) Rags. They claim it is for security, even though the land is farmland in Gaza and is actually the most fertile land there. The border was made within Gaza as well, taking farmland. Farmers are regularly shot at trying to farm their land. The pesticides are now going into the water table, which is also harmful, as Gazans have extremely bad water problems anyway, because of Israeli policies.

Sorry - I missed that post. So the claim is that the spray was used to kill off unwanted vegetation and there was some drift.

If that's what happened, it's not on really.

The IDF have said they used it to kill the crops. It wasn't unwanted vegetation, it was the farmer's livelihood and food for the people. And you are right, it's not on (understatement lol) There was no drift, it was deliberately placed. They weren't spraying their side of the border, they were deliberately spraying the crops on the Gazan side of the border

Last edited by sassy on Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

For years now, the IDF has unilaterally maintained a lethal “no-go zone” on the Palestinian side of the border with Gaza.

Which means it is not farmland

And again what sassy fails to admit the real truth

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

In other words she is trying to puill the wool over everyones eyes, but that is what Nazi scum do

But she is twisting the facts as per usual, the land on the border is not used as its no mans land, so its not farm land, hence the absolute lie which is even worse when you understand this

Due to the decline in production and Israel’s ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gaza farmers.

Doesn't it depend on how close the crops are to the border? I'm not an expert on spray drift, but I would think it could drift a fair distance.

True Rags, but if the farmers themselves have ruined the farmland, then how can then Israel be responsible, when the UN has already raised this about Gazan farmers, but there is nothing to prove it was Israel that caused this, but there is for Gaza farmers

What is being done here badly is to try and place blame off the real cause here

Sorry - I missed that post. So the claim is that the spray was used to kill off unwanted vegetation and there was some drift.

If that's what happened, it's not on really.

The IDF have said they used it to kill the crops. It wasn't unwanted vegetation, it was the farmer's livelihood and food for the people. And you are right, it's not on (understatement lol) There was no drift, it was deliberately placed. They weren't spraying their side of the border, they were deliberately spraying the crops on the Gazan side of the border

The Israel army has confirmed that it used crop-dusters to kill off vegetation — and perhaps inadvertently, agricultural crops — inside the Gaza Strip last week. According to Palestinian officials, over 420 acres of land were damaged by the spraying.

I took that to mean that they wanted to kill vegetation which was perhaps blocking their view of any potential trouble or whatever, and that they didn't deliberately spray the crops.

December 30, 2015 By Amanda FroelichIt wasn’t too long ago that Agent Orange, a devastating chemical produced by Monsanto, was used in the Vietnam War to strip the jungle environment of its foliage and give the U.S. military an advantage. At the time, the effects of the toxic herbicide weren’t well-known, but it’s now understood that the chemical causes unspeakable damage to humans, wildlife, and the environment.Once again, herbicides are being weaponized – but this time in the Middle East.

972 Magazine reports that the Israeli army has admitted that it used crop-dusters to kill off vegetation – and perhaps inadvertently, agricultural crops – inside the Gaza Strip just last week. Palestinian officials claim that over 420 acres of land were damaged by the spraying, which destroyed spinach, pea, parsley and bean crops.The sprayings – which lasted for several days – were condemned by Shai Grunberg, spokesperson for Gisha, an Israeli rights organization:

“Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods,” he said. Unarmed farmers and scrap collectors are reportedly shot in this area, which the Israeli side maintains as a “no-go zone.”

Reportedly, the army prefers to keep the border areas clean of vegetation to “counter the laying of IEDs, ambushes and border infiltrations” and maintain sight lines for what could be possible threats.

The military spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about the destruction of agricultural crops.

A Palestinian farmer walks through fields near Gaza’s eastern border, Al Montar, February 17, 2014. An Israeli military post is seen in the distance to the left, with the border indicated by the dark green areas passing through it. Credit: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org

Gaza’s Agricultural Ministry became aware of the herbicidal warfare when several farmers contacted Wael Thabet, head of the plant protection department, with the news that Israeli planes had sprayed their land with pesticides, killing off important crops.For years, the IDF has imposed a lethal no-go buffer zone along the Gaza border. In recent months, 16 Palestinians were killed, and 379 more who entered or approached the zone were wounded. It is reported that most were participating in protests along the fence.Clearly, the conflict will not be easily resolved, but herbicidal warfare cannot be allowed to continue. According to a recent study, there is a higher incidence of Parkinson’s disease among those living in Jewish agricultural communities near the Gaza border; researchers believe pesticide exposure plays a role.This news was not covered by Israeli media.

WHO periodically publishes list of hazardous chemicals, which sets out a classification system to distinguish between the more and the less hazardous forms of selected pesticides based on acute risk to human health (that is the risk of single or multiple exposures over a relatively short period of time). It takes into consideration the toxicity of the technical active substance and also describes methods for the classification of formulations.[5] The recent version of this classification (2009) has classified pesticides as - Ia: Extremely hazardous, Ib: Highly hazardous, II: Moderately hazardous, III: Slightly hazardous and U: Unlikely to present acute hazard.[6]The present study revealed that alpha - cypermethrin (II) was the most commonly used pesticide followed by methyl parathion (Ia), imidacloprid (II). dichlorvos (Ib), phorate (Ia). A similar study performed in La Paz county in Bolivia[7] showed methamidophos (II) to be the most common one followed by cypermethrin (II), parathion (Ia), lambda cyhalothrin (II) while in another one carried out on farmers at Gaza strip methamidophos was the most commonly used one followed by chlorpyriphos.[8] Though there is a slight difference in the list of pesticides used by farmers in different countries, which might be attributable to the differences in pest pressure, types of crops cultivated-they have one thing in common: Majority of the farmers use potentially toxic pesticides being unaware of their toxic nature.The study also revealed that the farmers stored pesticides in places such as storeroom (29.6%) kitchen (3.2%), bathrooms (10.8%) where it was easily accessible to family members including children or in cowsheds (48.4%) where it posed a threat to cattle health and well-being. In a study carried out in Western Uttar Pradesh,[9] 21% of the farmers were found to store pesticides in unsafe places.The fact that farmers were oblivious of the toxic nature of the compounds was quite evident as 21.2% of them did not use any protective measures while spraying and an additional 18% just washed their clothes after spraying. Similar results are observed in the study carried out in Uttar Pradesh where 75% of farmers regard hand washing after spraying as their personal protection.[9] The lack of knowledge regarding taking suitable personal protection while spraying could be due to the low level of education among farmers leaving many as functional illiterates. The inappropriate personal protective measures taken by the farmers lead to frequent development of signs and symptoms of intoxications in the spraying seasons. In the present study, almost 85% of farmers reported some signs or symptoms of intoxications with headache being the most common one followed by nausea, red eyes, cough and muscle cramp. In a study carried out in Bolivia 70% of the farmers using pesticides reported having experienced symptoms of intoxication in connection with one or more spraying sessions during the previous year.[7] The most frequent symptoms mentioned were headache, dizziness, tiredness, blurred vision and vomiting. The study carried out on farmers in Gaza strip revealed burning sensation in the eyes as the most common one.[8]Regarding suggestive course of action to be taken if somebody becomes sick after exposure to pesticide, 84% of farmers could appreciate the importance of taking the person to nearby medical facility. However, 12% of farmers would like to consult panchayat pradhan, the local political representative while 4% would take the exposed person to ojhas, the local quacks. Thus, our study indicated that farmers of Burdwan and their family members were both directly and indirectly exposed to highly hazardous, restricted and banned pesticides, with insufficient protection. With a view to educate farmers regarding use of pesticides in the last two decades government of India, Non-Governmental Organizations and international agencies have been working together to organize training, which helps farmers to learn about the ecology of their fields thus enabling them to make and implement decisions which are safe, productive and sustainable. This ecological approach to plant protection is called integrated pest management (IPM). It not only involves minimizing the use of pesticides but also involves a wide range of other practices aimed at growing a healthy crop and encourages the use of biopesticides. The training approach, which has been used to help rural people learn about IPM is called the farmers field school.[10] Such educational and training interventions on pesticide handling and safety precautions are urgently needed in the district of Burdwan to change the existing situation.The present study was limited by the fact that it was conducted in the main government approved pesticide procuring center of the district while better precision would have been obtained if the study could consider all the shops in the district.

CONCLUSIONS

The present piece of work suggests that farmers of Burdwan and their family members were exposed to highly hazardous, restricted and banned pesticides, with insufficient protection. In this situation, educational and training interventions on pesticide handling and safety precautions are urgently needed in order to change the existing situation. Governmental interventions and efforts, such as restrictions on hazardous pesticides, monitoring of labels and enforcement of good agricultural practices are needed to decrease pesticide exposure of farmers and the general population.

It's a potential problem anywhere really. Apparently these sprays can be absorbed up into the clouds and then come down with the rain. I would also think that if you used a plane to spray vegetation, there's a much greater chance of wide-ranging drift than if you spray closer to the ground.

Aims: To assess knowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms associated with pesticide use and exposure among 189 farm workers in the Gaza Strip.Methods: A cross section of agricultural farm workers in the Gaza Strip were asked to fill in a questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, practice towards pesticide use, and associated toxicity symptoms.Results: Farm workers reported high levels of knowledge on the health impact of pesticides (97.9%). Moderate to high levels of knowledge were recorded on toxicity symptoms related to pesticides. Most farm workers were aware of the protective measures to be used during applying pesticides. However, no one took precautions unless they knew about the measures. Burning sensation in eyes/face was the commonest symptom (64.3%). The prevalence of self reported toxicity symptoms was dependent on mixing and use of high concentrations of pesticides. The highest percentage of self reported toxicity symptoms was found among the farm workers who returned to sprayed fields within one hour of applying pesticides.Conclusions: Farm workers in the Gaza Strip used pesticides extensively. Despite their knowledge about the adverse health impact of the pesticides, the use of protective measures was poor. Most had self reported toxicity symptoms, particularly the younger workers. It would be useful to minimise the use of pesticides and encourage alternative measures. Prevention and intervention programmes regarding the use of protective measures and monitoring the health status of farm workers should be implemented.